Manager, Brand Creative (Art Director) at PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ

Manager, Brand Creative (Art Director)

Phoenix, AZ (Hybrid)

Salary Not AvailableSenior Level6+ years expUnavailable

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Own a top tier brand design mandate and lead a small design team to craft cohesive visual systems across campaigns, shoots, and store experiences.

Own and mentor 2–5 designers, balancing hands-on craft with team growth.
Translate briefs into executable, on-brand creative concepts and scalable visual systems.
AI-enabled workflows to speed production and scale creative output.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Concept, art-direct, and design brand campaigns, seasonal storytelling, and evergreen brand moments across digital and physical channels
Split your time between hands-on design and team leadership —staying close to the craft while elevating others
Lead, mentor, and allocate work for 2–5 designers , fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and creative ambition
Actively lead and participate in brainstorming and creative sessions, shaping ideas into clear, executable concepts
Art-direct photo and video shoots from concept through post-production, partnering with photographers, producers, stylists, and editors
Translate creative briefs and business goals into compelling, on-brand creative solutions
Partner with the Senior Manager and Creative Director to define, protect, and evolve PetSmart’s brand look, feel, and creative standards
Co-govern external agencies and production partners aligned to brand and visual standards
Collaborate deeply with Copy, Digital Creative, Store Creative, Marketing, Merchandising, eCommerce, and Loyalty teams to ensure holistic campaign alignment
Present work with clarity and confidence to peers, senior leaders, and executive stakeholders
Champion AI-enabled tools , automation, and modern production workflows to improve efficiency and scale— don’t wait to be told, go ahead and make it happen
Stay ahead of cultural, retail, and design trends—keeping PetSmart’s brand work fresh, relevant, and differentiated

Requirements

6+ years of creative experience in retail, lifestyle, or consumer brands, including 1+ years leading or managing creatives
Strong portfolio demonstrating brand-defining ideas, designs, photography, video, and campaign work
Proven experience creating, evolving, and extending cohesive visual systems that scale across campaigns, brand identities, and style guides
Expert in Adobe Creative Suite and presentation software; working knowledge of Figma and modern production tools
Working experience with AI-enabled creative workflows and emerging technologies required
Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills
Proven ability to balance creative vision with operational rigor
Demonstrated interest in growth toward Senior Manager / Associate Creative Director . You’re willing to put in the hard work

Preferred

Demonstrated interest in growth toward Senior Manager / Associate Creative Director . You’re willing to put in the hard work

Benefits

Pet-friendly environment , bring your pets to work and enjoy the on-site dog park!
On-Site Events & Adoptions , enjoy community-building opportunities, including pet adoption days, seasonal celebrations, family events, art events, & holiday festivals
“Top Dog” gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists, personal trainers, and wellness spaces
“Sit & Stay” Café serving fresh breakfast and lunch options, snacks, & more
“ Lil Paws” NAEYC-accredited onsite childcare facility providing high-quality early education
Paid Volunteer Opportunities to spend time doing good for causes close to heart
Print Center and Business Services , Dry Cleaning, Mother's Rooms, Sustainable Infrastructure & more

PetSmart

At PetSmart, we’ll do Anything for Pets. ❤️🐾 And the people who love them! Because we’re those people, too. Pets inspire and motivate us to bring our best selves to work each day. Our associates are devoted to ensuring that pets’ lives are happy and healthy. So, naturally, we’re devoted to ensuring that PetSmart is a happy and healthy workplace, too. Whether based in a store, salon, PetsHotel, distribution center, or at our home office, you’ll find yourself inspired and empowered to go further, reach higher, and make the most out of your #LifeAtPetSmart.As the largest specialty retailer in North America, we’re proud to employ approximately 50,000 associates across 1,660+ stores, seven distribution centers, and two home offices. Through our work with PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities of Canada®, we’ve helped 11 million pets find their forever homes, donated over $500+ million in grants to make a difference, and earned the title of the leading funder for animal welfare.PetSmart takes data privacy very seriously, so please be aware that PetSmart will never ask for personal information, such as a driver’s license number or financial information before a candidate accepts an employment offer. Candidates will be asked to provide a social security number in the job application via PetSmart’s secured applicant tracking system, which can be accessed only via www.careers.petsmart.com. Candidates will never be asked to provide any of this information via e-mail.

Founded in 1987

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

31K employees (992 in marketing)

careers.petsmart.com